Green laning made easy! New online platform recommends routes and helps keep you riding legally
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Off-road rider negotiates a green lane -
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro ridden through ford in Peak District -
Rider on Gatescarth Pass in Cumbria -
Rider on Gatescarth Pass in Cumbria -
Rider on Gatescarth Pass in Cumbria -
Byway sign stating its legal for vehicles
An online video route-sharing and difficulty grading guide has been launched to help make getting into green laning and trail riding a little less daunting.
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Called TrailVidz, the resource is a community-based video database, designed to arm trail riders, whether new or experienced, with the information needed to assess if a route is suitable for them.
The site also grades lanes in order of difficulty, with light green representing easy-going gravel tracks accessible by most bikes and riders, stepping up in challenge through to lanes marked yellow, which denote a tricky trail that may be difficult to navigate solo or aboard a heavy, road-focused machine.
As of February 2025, the site covers 1200 graded route sections, with 305 having accompanying video footage, showing the start to end of the lane.
Roughly a third of the 755 off-tarmac sections of the TET (Trans Euro Trail) are also covered so far, although founder Dan Maurice is keen to point out that users should always download the latest TET GPX track from the official website.
“So many people on forums are asking where the routes are and what bikes they are suitable for,” said Maurice.
“Really, there wasn’t anything out there to answer the questions – where are the trails, what do they look like, and can I ride them?
“You’d have to do hours of research to find that by scouring YouTube, and even then, you still probably won’t know where the routes are.
“I thought I should come up with a solution and it’s since become a passion project that’s gone out of control. I spend hours daily tweaking maps, taking footage from people, editing footage, looking into the legality of routes.”
Most UK unmetalled roads are ancient rights of way, sometimes half-reclaimed by nature, making it difficult to establish both their location and legality.
The site therefore contains resources to check TROs (Traffic Restriction Orders), with up-to-date contact information for the relevant councils, so users can ensure they’re riding only on legal unpaved roads.
Initially, Maurice hoped to map the whole UK unpaved network solo; however, he quickly found he needed additional support, recruiting a group of volunteers called the TrailCapture team to send in their action camera footage to help bolster the video dictionary.
“It became apparent that I couldn’t ride and film every byway in the country, so I started to network and get other people involved,” added the resource’s founder.
“I pay for their petrol in return for them providing videos to help grow the resource.
“It’s about empowering people to get out and ride. I’m not telling people what they can and can’t do, I’m giving them the information to make the decision for themselves.
“I want to encourage people to join the TRF, their activism to keep routes open is invaluable. What I hope TrailVidz will offer is a companion tool to the TRF’s own Green Roads Map.”
Lisa Pawsey, TrailCapture volunteer, said: “As a beginner, I found myself in some situations in the lanes that I just didn’t know how to get out of.
“Now I have more experience, I want to contribute in the hope that others don’t get in the same situations.”
Craig Lowe, who also volunteers for the group, said: “I wanted to venture into something new, track days never appealed to me but I always fancied trying trail riding and bought a CRF250[L].
“Our first trail was great, I was loving it, then things drastically changed. I was a little beaten after the ride, being concerned about how hard it was.
“The problem was I didn’t know what to expect, some days I wanted an easy laid-back trail and some days I wanted to push my technical limits.
“Then I stumbled on a Facebook post from TrailVidz. After reading what the purpose and mission was, I was amazed at how such a simple idea could make such a dramatic difference to not only novice riders but experienced riders.”
A membership fee of £15 per year or £20 for lifetime is required to access the database, helping cover costs for the TrailCapture team, as well as website operations. Visit their website for more.
